Support for coiled stock material

ABSTRACT

A low profile portable support for coiled stock materials has an elongated flat base with a tapered front edge and a rear hand grip. The base supports a rotatable, spoked coil carrier wherein the spokes are easily removed to facilitate the mounting of the coiled material on the carrier by a single operator.

United States Patent lnventor Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Frank S. Manner Waterbury, Conn.

June 5, 1969 Apr. 20, 1971 United-Carr Incorporated Boston, Mass.

Continuation of application Ser. No. 688,592, Dec. 6, 1967, now abandoned.

SUPPORT FOR COlLED STOCK MATERIAL 9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 242/105, 242/129, 211/163 Int. Cl B65h 17/52 [50] Field of Search 242/128, 129,105, 82, 54;21l/163 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,197,180 4/1940 Jenne etal 242/129 3,052,425 9/ 1962 Reed 61; al 242/ 105 Primary ExaminerLeonard D. Christian Att0rneyPrutzman, Hayes, Kalb & Chilton ABSTRACT: A low profile portable support for coiled stock materials has an elongated flat base with a tapered front edge and a rear hand grip. The base supports a rotatable, spoked coil carrier wherein the spokes are easily removed to facilitate the mounting of the coiled material on the carrier by a single operator.

Patented A ril 20, 1971 3,575,358

i INVENTOR.

FRANK S. MANNER ATTORNEYS SUIPFGTRT Wilt tCUlllLhlD STUCK MATEMAIL This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 688,592 filed Dec. 6, 1967.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION gle operator. included in this object is the provision for a support which additionally is adapted to assist in mounting a coil of heavy stock material thereon while obviating the necessity for lifting such material.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved support for coiled stock material which permits smooth rapid transfer of the material from the coil while at the same time eliminating slippage, kickback or overrun of the strap during the dispensing operation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved support of the type described which can be easily stored and shipped as a small, lightweight package yet provides a stable, portable, free-tuming support for the doiled stock material enabling the feeding thereof from either the inside or the outside of the coil. Additionally, the support facilitates rapid slideon mounting of the coiled stock to be dispensed and exhibits a low profile which contributes to its tendency to remain in a stabilized horizontal position during the stock dispensing operation.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

in accordance with the present invention, the support includes an elongated, generally rectangular base which is capable of stabilizing the support in various locations including the top of a stack of coils. The entire support is portable and the base is adapted to assist a single operator in mounting thereon the coil to be dispensed. The base carries a freely rotating, spoked coil carrier with easily removable and remountable anns for supporting the large coils of stock material which are rapidly and efficiently dispensed.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application which will be indicated in the appended claims.

The preferred embodiment of the invention may be described more readily by reference to the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPT ION OF THE DRAWING in the drawing:

FlG. i is a perspective view of the portable coil support during a typical dispensing operation;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation view of the support during the mounting of a coil of stock material thereon; and

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged exploded fragmentary view, partly in section, illustrating the connection between the stable base and the rotatable coil carrier of the support.

DlETAllLlED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the invention in greater detail, wherein like reference numerats indicate like parts throughout the wveral FlGS. a dispensing operation is illustrated in FIG. 1 wherein the coil dispensing support, generally designated 10, rests upon a stack E2 of stock material consisting of a. plurality of coils M of continuous strap or the like. As shown, the stack l2 may conveniently be carried by a skid llb which facilitates its easy movement to different dispensing locations. As will be appreciated from the following description, the lightweight portable characteristics of the support it) lend exceptional versatility to its utilization, the mode illustrated in FIG. 1 being merely exemplary.

The support 10 can be conveniently used in conjunction with a guide stand 1h for directing the travel of the strap as it moves away from the coil M. The base 20 of the stand 18 readily slides beneath the skid 16 and supports on its upstanding post 22 a set of vertically adjustable guide members 26, 2h. The lower guide member 26 is effective to controllably lift the strap or other stock material away from the coil 14 while the independently positionable top guide rod 28 provided with the enlarged, generally rectangular hook portion 30 on the free end thereof further directs and guides the strap to a suitable work location. in addition to a pair of coil restraining bars 34 which conveniently rest upon or are spaced only slightly above the coil 14 to prevent undesirable prerelease of the strap material from the coil as it is dispensed, the lower guide member 26 also includes a vertical guide bar 36 which can be slidably adjusted toward and away from the center of the coil M to compensate for the radial dimensions of the coil and assure a smooth takeoff of the strap from the coil during the dispensing operation.

The portable coil dispensing support of the present invention preferably includes an elongated, generally rectangular base member 38 rotatably supporting a spoked coil carrier 40 and maintaining it in a stabilized dispensing position. To effect this the base 3% is provided with a substantially flat bottom surface 42 which is easily positioned in a stabilized condition on any suitable flat surface including coils of stock material other than those being dispensed. The front transverse edge 34 of the base 33 tapers rearwardly from its top surface as toward the flat bottom surface 42, and, as illustrated in FIG. 2, enables the base 38 to be easily inserted between stacked coils of stock material thereby facilitating the rapid loading of a coil 14 on the dispensing support. In accordance with the preferred embodiment, a finger receiving slot 4% is provided adjacent the rear of the base 38 permitting easy manipulation of the support by a single operator as the coil is slidably loaded on the support. Thus, as will be appreciated, the tapered front edge 44 of base 38 can initially he slipped between the top two coils M of the stack 12 and used as a lever for raising one side of the coil, thereby permitting the operator to slidably draw the coil toward himself and readily mount it on the spoked coil carrier 40 carried by the base.

A thin, bearing receiving block 50 is secured to the top surface 46 of the base at a location slightly forward of its longitudinal midpoint and is provided with a central counterbore or recess 52 for receiving the bottom raceway 54 of a ball bearing assembly, generally designated 56. The coil carrier Ml, being supported on the base 39 solely through the bearing assembly $6 is free-tuming and thereby provides smooth, low friction and obstruction-free rotation as the strap is fed from the I coil 14. A suitable counterbore 60 complementary to recess 52 is provided within the bottom of the hub 62 of coil carrier 40 for securely receiving the top raceway 64 of the ball bearing assembly 56. As best seen in FIG. 3, a stud 68 and flanged sleeve 70 interconnect through the aligned central aperture 72 of the support and maintain the coil carrier 40 in its assembled rotatable position on the base 38.

In the preferred embodiment, four outwardly extending detachable arms 76 of L-shaped cross section are supportably carried by the hub 62 of coil carrier 40. The arms 76 are of substantially equal length and comprise a flat, elongated, coil receiving leg 7% resting on the top surface @0 of the hub 62 within a plane substantially parallel to the base 38 and separated therefrom by a distance less than the width of the base. Each leg Iii is provided with an upstanding coil retaining flange ($2 on the free end thereof for confining and restricting the later movement of the coil after it has been mounted on the carrier 4 0. The other elongated leg 8% of each L-shaped arm 76 integrally depends from one longitudinal edge of its respective leg 78 at substantially a right angle thereto and provides structural reinforcement for each arm as well as a secure stabilized connection with the hub 62. A short length of solid mounting rod 90 secured to the depending leg 88 slightly below the flat top leg 78 of each arm at the innermost extremity thereof is received within a radial bore 92 of the hub 62 while the integrally depending leg 88 slides into an adjacent tangential slot 96. As shown, a plurality of radial bores 92 are equally spaced about the circular outer periphery 98 of the hub 62 and extend inwardly toward but stop short of the central aperture 72. The bores 92 are spaced from the top surface 80 of the hub 62 and communicate therewith through the tangential slots 96 which extend downwardly from the top surface of the hub along one side of each radial bore. Thus, the coil supporting arms 76 of the rotatable carrier 40 are easily mounted on the hub 62 by inserting the leg 88 into slot 96 and rod 90 into the radial bore 92 aligned therewith. As a result the top leg 78 of each arm will rest on the top surface 80 of the hub, the arm being secured thereto by fasteners 100 which extend through the top of the hub 62 into the solid mounting rod 90 of each am.

In accordance with the preferred operation of the coil support 10, at least one of the arms 76 is removed from the hub 62 in order to facilitate the slidable mounting of the coiled stock material on the support in the manner described hereinbefore in conjunction with FIG. 2. The operator holds the base member at the hand gripping slot 48 adjacent the rearward end thereof and rotates the carrier 40 so that the remaining anns 76 carried thereby do not overlie or interfere with the front edge 44 of the base. The edge 44 is then quickly and easily inserted between adjacent stacked coils l4. Thereupon the operator slidably pulls the top coil 14 onto the support while using the base 38 as a lever for assisting in lifting the coil a sufficient height to clear the hub 62 and permit its slidable mounting on the carrier arms 76 of the support. After mounting of the coil thereon, the arm 76 which had been removed may be easily replaced and, due to the large central opening of the coil, the fasteners 100 are again inserted to secure the arm to the hub, although frequently the arm need not be secured since it is generally securely held by the hub as a result of the interconnection between the side leg 88 and mounting rod 90 of each arm with the radial bore 92 and tangential slot 96 of the hub.

As can be seen from the foregoing detailed description, the support of the present invention provides for and facilitates the smooth slidable mounting of a coil on the support by a single operator and enables the rapid, obstruction-free feeding of the material from the coil. The support of the present invention is a low profile unit of lightweight, durable construction which supports large diameter coils of stock material yet can be quickly and easily disassembled for storage and/or shipment as a small, easily carried package. The support permits handling of large heavyweight coiled stock material by a single operator and due to its lightweight, portable characteristics can be utilized in a variety of locations otherwise unaccessible to conventional coil dispensing devices without cluttering the workspace adjacent the coil being dispensed.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications and adaptations of the structure abovedescribed will become readily apparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

lclaim:

l. A portable low profile support for assisting in the dispensing of coiled stock material comprising a substantially flat, generally rectangular base, a hub supportably mounted on the base for rotation relative thereto, and at least three equally spaced spokelike arms carried by the hub and extending outwardly therefrom within a plane substantially parallel to the base, at least one of said anns being provided with means for confinably retaining the coiled material thereon, said base being a narrow elongated member provided with a tapered transverse edge and a hand gripping means to assist in mounting of the coiled stock material on the support.

2. The support of claim 1 wherein the tapered transverse edge and the hand gripping means are on opposite ends of the base, the gripping means being displaced from the hub by a distance substantially equal to the length of the arms.

3. The support of claim 1 wherein the arms are of equal length and are provided with longitudinally extending reinforcing members received within the hub.

4. The support of claim 1 wherein the arms lie within a plane spaced from the base by a distance less than the width of the base.

5. The support of claim 1 wherein one of said arms is adapted for ready removal from and replacement on the hub to facilitate mounting of the coiled stock material on arms continuously carried by the hub.

6. The support of claim 5 comprising four equally spaced arms extending substantially radially from the hub and friction reducing means intermediate the hub and the base facilitating the relative rotation therebetween.

7. A portable low profile support and dispenser for coiled stock material comprising a base member, a hub mounted on the base member for rotation relative thereto, and a generally planar spoked coil carrier carried by the hub, the coil carrier including a plurality of spokes extending substantially radially from the hub within a plane positioned in spaced adjacent relationship to the base member, at least one of the spokes of said coil carrier being adapted for ready removal from and replacement on the hub to facilitate mounting of the coiled stock material thereon.

8. The support of claim 7 wherein the base is an elongated member having a tapered transverse edge on one end thereof and hand gripping means to assist in mounting the coiled stock material on the coil carrier.

9. The support of claim 7 wherein the coil carrier is comprised of at least three spokelike arms extending outwardly from the hub with at least one of said arms being provided with means for confinably retaining the coiled stock material on the carrier and the base member is a substantially flat generally rectangular member having hand gripping means to assist in mounting stock material on the coil carrier. 

1. A portable low profile support for assisting in the dispensing of coiled stock material comprising a substantially flat, generally rectangular base, a hub supportably mounted on the base for rotation relative thereto, and at least three equally spaced spokelike arms carried by the hub and extending outwardly therefrom within a plane substantially parallel to the base, at least one of said arms being provided with means for confinably retaining the coiled material thereon, said base being a narrow elongated member provided with a tapered transverse edge and a hand gripping means to assist in mounting of the coiled stock material on the support.
 2. The support of claim 1 wherein the tapered transverse edge and the hand gripping means are on opposite ends of the base, the gripping means being displaced from the hub by a distance substantially equal to the length of the arms.
 3. The support of claim 1 wherein the arms are of equal length and are provided with longitudinally extending reinforcing members received within the hub.
 4. The support of claim 1 wherein the arms lie within a plane spaced from the base by a distance less than the width of the base.
 5. The support of claim 1 wherein one of said arms is adapted for ready removal from and replacement on the hub to facilitate mounting of the coiled stock material on arms continuously carried by the hub.
 6. The support of claim 5 comprising four equally spaced arms extending substantially radially from the hub and friction reducing means intermediate the hub and the base facilitating the relative rotation therebetween.
 7. A portable low profile support and dispenser for coiled stock material comprising a base member, a hub mounted on the base member for rotation relative thereto, and a generally planar spoked coil carrier carried by the hub, the coil carrier including a plurality of spokes extending substantially radially from the hub within a plane positioned in spaced adjacent relationship to the base member, at least one of the spokes of said coil carrier being adapted for ready removal from and replacement on the hub to facilitate mounting of the coiled stock material thereon.
 8. The support of claim 7 wherein the base is an elongated member having a tapered transverse edge on one end thereof and hand gripping means to assist in mounting the coiled stock material on the coil carrier.
 9. The support of claim 7 wherein the coil carrier is comprised of at least three spokelike arms extending outwardly from the hub with at least one of said arms being provided with means for confinably retaining the coiled stock material on the carrier and the base member is a substantially flat generally rectangular member having hand gripping means to assist in mounting stock material on the coil carrier. 